Jacoby Ellsbury Stats & Scouting Report

AB	4846
AVG	.284
OBP	.342
SLG	.417
HR	104

Full name Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury
Born 09/11/1983 in Madras, OR
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Oregon State
Debut 06/30/2007
Drafted in the 1st round (23rd overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2005 (signed for $1,400,000).

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Fellow Oregon high school products Trevor Crowe (Arizona) and Jed Lowrie (Stanford) left the state in 2002 for what they thought would be a better opportunity at higher-profile Pacific-10 Conference schools. Ellsbury, who comes from a small high school in rural central Oregon, chose to stay home and he has been handsomely rewarded. Not only has he become a potential first-round pick, but Oregon State is having its best season ever, rising to No. 3 in the nation. Ellsbury's .426 average was among the national leaders and he led the Beavers in every key offensive category, including home runs and RBIs--as the team's leadoff hitter. He has few holes in his game and is capable of beating teams in a lot of ways. He has excellent makeup and instincts. His best tool is his speed, and it's evident both on the bases and in center field, where he catches everything hit his way. He has been clocked in 6.55 seconds over 60 yards. His biggest improvement has been in his approach at the plate. He has become more patient, rarely swings and misses and is comfortable hitting with two strikes. In his first 235 plate appearances this season, he fanned 11 times while drawing 28 walks. His style of play and physical appearance have drawn comparisons to Johnny Damon at a similar age, but scouts say Ellsbury has a better swing. They question whether he'll grow into the same power, though. They see him as more of a doubles and triples hitter. Boston has a big interest in Ellsbury, but they don't pick until 23rd overall and may not have an opportunity to get him.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Ellsbury electrified Red Sox fans by scoring from second base on a wild pitch in his third big league game in July, and there was more to come. After setting a Pawtucket record with a 25-game hitting streak, he batted .361 while subbing for an injured Manny Ramirez in September and hit .438 in the World Series. Ellsbury puts his plus-plus speed to good use on the bases and in center field. At the plate, he focuses on getting on base with an easy live-drive swing and outstanding bat control. He's a prolific and efficient basestealer, swiping 50 bases in 57 tries in 2007, including a perfect 9-for-9 in the majors. He may not be as spectacular in center field as Coco Crisp, but he's a Gold Glover waiting to happen. Ellsbury has just 10 homers in 1,017 minor league at-bats, but Boston believes he has the deceptive strength to hit 10-15 homers per season. He can launch balls in batting practice and did go deep three times in September. Like Clay Buchholz, he spent time at API during the offseason to add strength. Ellsbury's arm is below average, but he compensates by getting to balls and unloading them quickly. The Red Sox have tried to downplay the expectations and the Johnny Damon comparisons for Ellsbury since drafting him in 2005's first round, but that's impossible now. He's clearly their center fielder of the future, and the future is soon.
Ellsbury had done nothing to disappoint the Red Sox since they targeted him with the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 draft and signed him for $1.4 million. In his first full season, managers rated him both the best and fastest baserunner and the top defensive outfielder in the high Class A Carolina League. He performed even better following a promotion to Double-A Portland. Boston officials shy away from making the comparison, but Ellsbury can be the leadoff hitter and center field the team missed after letting Johnny Damon leave for the Yankees. He makes consistent hard linedrive contact with ease, thanks to a sound stroke and outstanding hand-eye coordination. He has hit just eight homers in 146 pro games, but there's some uppercut in his swing and strength in his frame that should allow him to produce at least 10-15 homers a year. Ellsbury has plus-plus speed that makes him an asset on the bases and in center field. He gets good jumps and takes efficient routes in center, enhancing his range. Ellsbury's lone below-average tool is his arm strength, but he compensates somewhat by getting to balls and unloading quickly. He has the on-base ability, speed and explosiveness to be an elite basestealer, but he was caught 17 times in 2006, showing that he can do a better job of reading pitchers and situations. Ellsbury should open 2007 at Triple-A Pawtucket and likely will be starting for the Red Sox by Opening Day 2008.
Ellsbury led Oregon State to its first College World Series since 1952, and the Red Sox were elated that he slipped to them as the No. 23 overall pick in the 2005 draft. Signed for $1.4 million, he finished second in the short-season New York-Penn League in steals despite getting a late start and missing two weeks with a hamstring injury. Ellsbury draws Johnny Damon comparisons because he's a lefthanded-hitting center fielder who can run and defend. He has the bat-handling ability, on-base skills and speed to hit atop the order. He's intelligent and has a solid work ethic. Ellsbury's arm is below-average but playable in center field, and he plays shallow to compensate. He doesn't have much home run power, though he had no problem reaching the right-field bullpen during a Fenway Park workout after big league hitting coach Ron Jackson tinkered with his setup to get his swing started quicker. There's no reason Ellsbury shouldn't move quickly through the minors. He'll begin his first full season at high Class A Wilmington and could be pushing for a big league job by 2008.

Minor League Top Prospects

Scouts and managers were unanimous in their praise for Ellsbury, one of the league's most exciting players who thrilled the Fenway faithful after his callup. His game begins with speed and defense, both of which are plus tools. The agile Ellsbury gets tremendous stride length for a smallish player (he's listed at 6-foot-1), which contributes to his plus acceleration and raw speed. He maximizes his legs in center field, too, where he was the league's rangiest outfielder, and he has enough arm for the position. "He's faster and quicker than what I thought," Brundage said. "His range in center field is untouchable. He's covering line drives in the right-center field gap and anything that's going to hold up in left-center." Ellsbury controls a small strike zone and uses a pure swing to hit to all fields. He showed improvement against good fastballs as the season progressed, but also a tendency to slap at the ball (he slugged .380 in the IL). With further tightening of his strike zone, Ellsbury could develop into a prototypical leadoff batter with occasional pull power. He already has the running game mastered, as he was 33 of 39 on steals in the IL.
Ellsbury helped Portland win the Red Sox' first Double-A title since their 1983 New Britain team featured Roger Clemens. With his hustle and determination, he quickly became a fan favorite, and he also showed well above-average speed and center-field defense. Ellsbury's makes consistent contact, controls the strike zone and gets on base well enough to become a big league leadoff hitter. He has a slight uppercut swing, and though he hit just seven homers between two minor league stops this year, Boston believes he can develop double-digit power. Though he runs well, he needs to improve his basestealing prowess after getting caught in eight of his 24 attempts in the EL. As a center fielder, Ellsbury gets good jumps and runs down balls in the gaps. His arm is well below average, but he compensates with a quick release and good accuracy.
Even though Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp is signed through 2009, Ellsbury may not wait nearly that long to take over that job in Boston. He was polished when he came out of Oregon State as a first-rounder in 2005, and his wide array of tools impressed scouts and managers. Promoted to Double-A at midseason, he produced slightly better numbers after moving up. "He does it all for me," a NL scout said. "He's a catalyst, he's a threat on the bases and he's a threat defensively. Everything he does, he does effortlessly." Ellsbury is a prototypical leadoff hitter who works counts, bunts well and has the plus speed to be a basestealing threat. He hits with a fluid, line-drive stroke that generates gap power, profiling as a .300 hitter with 10-15 homers annually. He's also a plus center fielder who gets good jumps and takes solid routes.
Looking for an heir apparent to Johnny Damon, the Red Sox spent the 23rd overall choice in June on Ellsbury. After first leading Oregon State to its first College World Series berth since 1952, he showed everything expected of a first-rounder once arriving in Lowell. Ellsbury proved to be the prototypical leadoff hitter he was advertised to be, showing fine on-base skills and baserunning and basestealing prowess. He has plus speed and gap power. His quickness also gives him above-average range in center field. Ellsbury likes to play shallow, helping to compensate for a below-average arm. The only thing that slowed him down was a hamstring injury that sidelined him for two weeks.